


Wanna Be With You

by FreckleLemonade



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Has Issues, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Cute, F/M, Fluff, Humor, Protective Bucky Barnes, Pyrokinetic Reader, Reader Has Powers, Reader-Insert, Steve Rogers Is a Good Bro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-23
Updated: 2016-07-28
Packaged: 2018-07-26 05:21:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7562023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FreckleLemonade/pseuds/FreckleLemonade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's your first day at Stark Tower... Why do you feel like you're being watched?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Moving Day

**Author's Note:**

> Ahhh, a new Bucky series is finally here! :D  
> I can never stay away from Bucky for too long, haha.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you like it! <3

You trailed closely behind Tony Stark as he led you through the hallways of Stark Tower. The place was huge and you were doing your best to keep up with him so you didn't get lost. He rambled on about the tower's AI system and quickly pointed out the rooms as you passed them. All the information was so overwhelming and you hoped that you were going to be able to remember everything. Tony finally stopped at one room and unlocked the door. He pushed the door open and leaned against the frame.

"So this is your room, (y/n), and it includes the attached bathroom."

You nodded and he looked at his watch, "Oh jeez, I gotta get back to the lab. If you need anything, just ask JARVIS. He'll be able to answer any questions you might have."

You nodded again, "Thank you, Mr Stark."

Tony smiled and winked at you, "Please, (y/n), just call me Tony. And don't worry, you'll be fine." With that, he turned around and rushed off down the hall to the elevators.

You gulped and said, to no one in particular, "I hope so."

You stood in the doorway of your room for a few moments, trying to mentally process everything that had just happened. Just when you started to retreat into your room, you saw movement out of the corner of your eye and you turned just in time to see the door across the hall close. You paused for a second, then shrugged and went to explore your room, shutting the door behind you.

 

\-----

 

Bucky Barnes had been sitting in his room, reading a book that his best friend, Steve Rogers, had recommended to him. He looked up when he heard two sets of footsteps outside his room, in the hallway. He stalked to his door and pressed his ear against it, careful not to make any noise. He could hear Stark talking and a female voice responding. It didn't sound like anyone he knew. With his curiosity growing, he silently cracked open the door and peeked into the hallway.

He could see you standing in your doorway with a look of uncertainty on your face. You stood there for a moment, watching Stark retreat into the elevator. You moved and his heart skipped a beat. He shut the door as quickly and quietly as he could so that he wouldn't be seen. When the door was closed, Bucky let out a deep breath he hadn't realized he was holding in and slumped down to the floor.

 

\-----

 

Meanwhile, you were starting to unpack your bags in your room. You hated moving but since your powers had been discovered, Nick Fury had thought that it was best to move you into Stark Tower. 'To keep an eye on you,' he had said. You snorted. Fury and his eye jokes were ridiculous. You were pyrokinetic, meaning that you had the ability to create and control fire. Fury felt that you needed to be trained and, once you were able to control your power to his satisfaction, you could become a valuable asset to the Avengers' team. 

You could already manage your powers pretty well, but you also understood that he was just doing this for the safety of you and those around you. After what had happened in New York with the Chitauri, you couldn't really blame him. Plus, it would give you a reason to use your powers and help people, so that was exciting. You were just finishing up folding and putting away your collection of fandom-themed t-shirts when a knock at your door interrupted your thoughts.

"Just a sec," you yelled, slamming the drawer shut. You rushed over to your door, nearly tripping over an empty suitcase in the process, and flung it open. You were met with the gorgeous blue eyes of Captain America.

"Hello there, (y/n). I just wanted to say hi and welcome you to the tower and to the Avengers' team."

He smiled. Oh gosh, that smile. You fiddled with the hem of your shirt nervously, unsure of what you should say to the tall, blonde super soldier that stood before you. He looked down and his smile widened.

"Nice shirt," he said.

"Oh, uh, thanks," you replied, obviously flustered. 

You hadn't realized until now that the t-shirt you had thrown on that day had a giant Captain America shield design on it. Oh good, now he probably thought you were some weird, completely obsessed fangirl... Because you, uh, totally weren't. Nope.

Oblivious of your bright red face, he went on, "I was wondering, if you're not doing anything later, do you want me to show you around the tower? I know Tony's probably given you the quick version but it might help to have someone to show you everything in person."

You gawked up at him and blurted, "Yes, please, Captain! That would be so helpful. I was actually just starting to wonder how I would ever find my way around. This place is, like, a million times bigger than my tiny, old apartment."

He grinned, a light pink blush spreading across his face, "Great! I have to go do some training now but that'll give you some time to settle in. I'll come back in a couple hours and give you the grand tour. Oh, and by the way, it's just Steve. We're going to be friends so you don't have to call me Captain." 

He reached out to shake your hand.

You put your hand in his and nodded, "Okay, Steve."

As you watched him retreat down the hallway, you could swear that you were being watched again. You pushed off the feeling, concluding that you were in a huge tower with a bunch of other people so obviously, there were other people around. You stepped back into your room, deciding to take a shower and change into a less embarrassing t-shirt.

 

\-----

 

Bucky sighed again. From the gap in his door, he had seen the entire exchange between you and his best friend. He didn't know why he had such a knot in his chest as he watched you chat with Steve but it felt like his heart was going to explode. Maybe something in his arm was malfunctioning and causing this pain. He considered the possibility of having to go see Dr Banner about it.

Images of sinister-looking doctors in white lab coats and sharp, metal instruments shot through his mind. He shook his head. He wasn't ready to see a doctor yet. The thought of being in a lab again turned his stomach and, even though Steve seemed to trust Banner, it was going to take him more time. He supposed that he would just have to deal with the malfunction and hope that it worked itself out eventually. He had, after all, faced worse pain than this dull, aching sensation that rippled through his chest.

Bucky got up from the floor and flopped backwards onto his bed. He would usually go and talk to Steve about things like this but that didn't feel like an option right now. For some reason, it felt like his best friend was part of the problem. He hadn't felt like this since that day on the bridge when he recognized Steve for the first time in years. He felt... lost. Was that the word? Bucky shrugged and picked up the book that had been discarded on the bed. He tried to pick up where he had left off in the story, but only succeeded in reading the same line four times.


	2. Friendly Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How will Bucky react when he finds you hanging out with Hawkeye?

After a couple days of settling in, you started to get used to living in the tower and things were going pretty well. Steve had given you a tour of the building, showing you where everything was. You were introduced to Dr Bruce Banner during a routine health check-up and learned a little bit about "the other guy." You bonded with Thor over stories of his adventures in Asgard and your mutual love for Poptarts.

You briefly met Steve's best friend, Bucky, too. Steve privately told you a little bit about his Winter Soldier persona and his past with HYDRA. Bucky seemed a little bit closed-off from the rest of the team, but you figured he had every reason to be after what he had been through. You learned that his room was the one across the hallway from yours and you made a mental note to try and become better friends with him.

Aside from meeting everyone, you had also shown the Avengers what you could do with your pyrokinesis. Everyone had seemed pretty impressed and you had managed to avoid setting off any fire alarms or sprinkler systems so you chalked that up to a win in your books. 

During training, you and Natasha quickly became close friends and you even managed to beat Clint once in a sparring match. Just once, but it was enough for you. Even though people joked about you being a hot-head, you were never the type to get unnecessarily cocky. You had a good head on your shoulders and knew that it would take more than a few fancy fireballs to become a true Avenger.

You needed more practice with an attack that you called "fire-shots," which were basically small fireballs that you could fire at your enemies like tennis balls, and Clint had agreed to help you. After you got dressed that morning, you headed down to the training room. You opened the big double doors and saw that Clint was already there. He was standing on a mat, facing rows of archery targets and he had his bow poised and loaded with an arrow. He turned his head to look at you and grinned, firing off the arrow and hitting the target dead-center without even having to look at it.

"So that's why they call you 'Hawkeye'," you said, grinning back at him.

"Guess so. Ready to start learning from the master, (y/n)?"

You laughed, "Yes, O powerful Master, teach me your ways."

The two of you trained for a couple hours, cracking jokes and goofing off nearly the entire time. By the end, though, your aim had gotten surprisingly good. Soon, you were disintegrating the targets with your fire-shots, one after another. Clint looked impressed and went to get his bow and quiver.

"Here, I want you to try this." He said, handing you the bow

"But I don't know how to use one."

"That's what I'm here for, obviously," Clint said, rolling his eyes playfully, "Once you get the hang of it, you can light the tips of the arrows on fire. How cool would that be?" 

He grinned like an excited child.

You thought for a moment. "But isn't the bow and arrows kind of your thing? I mean, if I start using them and getting good at it, won't that put you out of a job?" You tried your best to hide the smile that was tugging at the corner of your lips.

"Pfft, as if I'm worried about that. No one can replace Hawkeye, kid." 

You both laughed. It felt good to be able to joke with someone that got your sense of humour. When you had settled down a bit, Clint stepped behind you and showed you how to hold the bow.

"So you put your fingers like this and hold the arrow here." He explained, "Watch out for the bowstring after you fire because it can sting like a bi--"

At that moment, the double doors flew open and Bucky walked in. You were surprised by the sound of the door and let the arrow fly by accident. Of course, it missed the target by a mile and the string snapped back across your forearm.

"Ow! Son of a--" You dropped to your knees on the mat as a string of curses left your mouth.

Clint just blinked at you, wondering how you knew all those words and phrases. Bucky stood in the doorway for a second before walking by as if nothing had happened. He put his duffle bag down on one of the benches and began tying boxing wraps onto his right hand. Clint squatted down beside you on the mat and gently checked your arm.

"Okay, so maybe we should get you an arm guard before we do any more archery lessons. At least it's just a bruise."

You cradled your arm and grumbled, "Try archery, he said. It'll be fun, he said. Just a bloody bruise..."

Clint looked at you with his eyebrows knitted together, "Does that mean you don't want to try it again?"

"No way, I want to get better at it even more now! No bowstring is going to get the better of me!"

Clint grinned at the determined look on you face and replied, "Awesome. Now, you better go put some ice on that arm before the bruising gets any worse."

You sighed as you got up to leave the training room, "I hate using ice."

 

\-----

 

Bucky sat on the bench, wrapping his flesh hand with his boxing wrap. Without looking up, he knew that you and Clint had left the training room. He was alone now. A tiny smile appeared on his face when he recalled how determined you had sounded about sticking with learning archery. Bucky wondered, just for a second, if you would show that same determination again if he offered to train you with firearms or combat knives. He shook his head, finished wrapping his hand, and flexed out his muscles before starting on the punching bag.

As his fists pounded on the vinyl, Bucky thought about the way Clint had been standing behind you, his hands gently holding yours, showing you how to hold the bow. He thought about the grin that had been on your face as you looked at the archer and about the twisting feeling that occurred in his stomach when Clint had taken your injured arm in his hands. The more he thought about someone else touching you, the tighter his fists clenched. It made him feel... angry. Why did it make him angry? He was never allowed to be angry before; only functional. Rage made people make mistakes. This was a fact that he had often taken advantage of when carrying out his missions as the Winter Soldier. He pummeled the punching bag harder.

"That thing's gonna fly off the chain if you hit it any harder."

Bucky spun around at the sudden sound, ready to strike out at whoever was there. As he turned, the punching bag swung back and hit him square in the back and knocked him forward a bit. He caught it with his metal hand before it could do it a second time and realized that it was only you. He panicked internally at how close he had come to slipping off the edge and tumbling back into his Winter Soldier persona. What would have happened to you? Would he have grabbed you by the throat and squeezed the life out of you before he could regain his grip on reality? The thought shook him to his very core, for reasons he still didn't understand, but he managed to retain his stoic stare on the outside.

You laughed, unaware of the haunting thoughts that were plaguing the man standing before you, and said, "There, that's payback for startling me earlier!"

The corners of his lips turned down, just slightly. His eyes drifted to the forearm that had been injured. Bucky saw a cooling patch taped to it and immediately felt his stomach twist again as he wondered if Bruce had patched you up. A hand waved in front of his face and he focused, once again, on your face.

"Here," you said, holding out a bottle of water to him, "You look like you could use it more than me." 

Bucky gingerly took it from your hand. Steve was the only one who had ever brought him water while training so he didn't know what to make of this. He stood and peered at the bottle for a second before popping the cap off and taking a swig.

"So, Bucky... Are you always this quiet?"

The way his name slowly dripped off your tongue fascinated him and he nearly forgot to answer.

"No. Not usually." It wasn't a lie, he decided. He had conversations with Steve and had said hello to Natasha that morning. So no, he wasn't always quiet. Right? He looked at you with a worried expression on his face. Was that the right answer?

You just smiled, "I'm just joking, Bucky!"

He just blinked at you. He felt warm. Too warm. Was he getting sick? Could he even still get sick? Being sick meant going to the doctor, and he knew that Steve would force him if it was for his well-being. No doctors... Not yet.

"Bucky? Are you okay?"

Another flush of heat rushed over him. 

"I have to go." He said, abruptly. 

He turned, grabbed his duffle bag, and nearly ran out of the training room. You were left standing there alone, wondering what just happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so glad the first chapter went over so well. :D  
> Thank you so much for reading and for your comments! <3


	3. Bucky Bear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You get Bucky a little present. :)

Since your encounter with Bucky in the training room that day, you had been worried about him. The way he rushed out of the room, paired with the fact that you hadn't seen him in the last few days, made you wonder if he was okay or not. You had found yourself thinking about the former Winter Soldier a lot lately. You had been informed about what Bucky had gone through while in the hands of HYDRA and it nearly made you physically ill.

You sat on the plush armchair in your room, drinking some soothing chamomile tea and contemplating all the things that the others have told you about Bucky when there was a quiet knock at the door. You jumped up so suddenly that you nearly spilled your tea. When you opened the door, you saw Dr Banner standing there.

"Hi, Bruce! Come on in," you said, gesturing to your mug of tea, "Want some?"

"No, thank you." 

He stepped inside the room and closed the door gently behind him. 

"I actually just wanted to see if you wanted to come for a walk to the store with me. Steve thinks that Bucky might not be feeling good and wanted me to pick up some stuff for him."

"Why doesn't he just go to the lab? I'm sure you could fix him up."

"I could certainly run some tests and figure out what, if anything, is wrong with him. But Steve said, and don't say anything to Bucky about this, that he's been having difficulties with labs and doctors since the whole brainwashing thing happened."

"Oh. Of course," you nodded, "It would make sense that he'd still have tons of trauma after that."

"Right, so I was going to go for a walk and pick up some stuff for him. Maybe as a little peace offering. Hopefully, I can get him to be more comfortable around me that way."

"I'll grab my wallet and be right there."

You and Bruce rode the elevator to the ground floor and walked through the lobby. You made your way down the street to the pharmacy on the corner. The streets weren't too busy at this time of day so there weren't a lot of people around which was good because then neither you nor Bruce had to worry too much about something happening and him "hulking-out," as Tony put it. When you reached the pharmacy, Bruce held the door open for you.

You followed him through the store and watched as he picked up boxes of medicine and other items and dropped them into the basket that he had picked up at the entrance. While he went on shopping, you got distracted by the toy aisle and wandered away from the doctor. As you walked through the aisle and browsed the shelves full of stuffed animals, board games, and other toys, you spotted a small, grumpy-looking teddy bear. Its fur was shaggy and dark brown and the expression on its face seemed familiar. Then, it hit you. You laughed out loud and Bruce walked over.

"What's so funny?" He asked, with a smile on his face.

"This bear! It looks just like Bucky!"

Bruce peered down at the bear and chuckled softly. 

"It actually does."

"I have to get it for him. Maybe it'll help make him feel better."

"You never know," Bruce replied.

When he was finished picking out things for Bucky, you walked up to the cashier together and paid for your items. You declined a bag for the teddy bear and hugged it to your chest, ready for the walk home. When you stepped outside, the cold air made you shiver. It was almost winter and you hated the cold weather. Because of your powers, you always felt warm to the touch but inside, you got cold rather easily. When Bruce noticed your shivering, he took off his jacket and draped it over your shoulders.

"Don't want you catching a cold."

"Bruce, you know that's a myth, right?"

"Yes."

You chuckled and nudged his shoulder lightly. He smiled back. Bruce was always looking out for everyone on the team. He was usually pretty soft-spoken and you felt fairly comfortable in his presence. When you arrived in front of the tower, however, you swore that you could feel eyes on you again. You told yourself that it was ridiculous because there were probably fifty people milling up and down the street around you. It was only logical to assume there would be at least one person looking at you. Still, you felt the skin on your neck prickle a little.

When you made it to the tower, you took the elevator up to the living quarters and stepped out. Steve, Tony, and Thor sat at a table, playing cards, and Natasha and Clint were sprawled out on the couches, watching TV. Bruce walked over to the group at the table and sat down, passing the bag to Steve.

"Here's the stuff you wanted. If you do end up using them, the labels will have the dosage amounts and directions, so you just have to read them."

"Thanks, Dr Banner. I appreciate it."

You walked over to the couches to show Natasha and Clint the teddy bear you had bought at the store. Clint took one look at it and burst out laughing. 

"That thing looks just like Bucky!" he exclaimed.

"I know, right? I thought it did too so I got it for him." You laughed.

Natasha smirked at you like she knew something that you didn't.

You blushed slightly and responded, "I'm gonna go find him and give it to him."

With that, you dashed off down the hallway to Bucky's room.

 

\-----

 

Bucky was sitting on the edge of his bed. His fists were tightly clenched on his knees and he was deep in thought. He had looked out the window just at the right moment to spy you and the doctor walking together on the street below. While he couldn't see your expressions from that high up, Bucky could make out Banner wrapping his jacket around you and something that felt like a shock of electricity had coursed through his veins. He felt angry without knowing why and clenched his fists tighter. 

At the same moment, Bucky heard a knock at his door. He stretched out his sore fingers and knuckles, got up, and walked silently over to the door. He cracked it open and bit and saw you, standing in the hall with your hands behind your back. His expression quickly changed from sullen to curious and he opened the door the rest of the way.

"Hi, Bucky. Can I come in?" You asked cheerfully.

Bucky hesitated slightly, remembering the foul mood he had been in a few seconds ago, then nodded and stepped to the side so you could enter. You walked into his room, careful not to reveal what you were holding behind you. He peered at you with interest and apprehension as you stood in the room, taking in the environment. His walls were painted with a grey colour that Tony had insisted was "calming." It reminded Bucky more of storm clouds but he didn't complain. He wasn't sure he would know how to complain anymore, even if he had wanted to. 

He didn't have much furniture. There were bookshelves and a dresser that were both painted black and a bed with a red quilt on it. It was plain but sufficient and everything was kept neat. The only thing that looked out of place was a poster that pictured an orange kitten dangling from a tree branch by its claws with the words 'Hang in There, Baby!' above it. He didn't know why the cat was hanging from the tree in the first place or what infants had to do with anything, but Natasha had tacked it to the wall beside his bed so there it stayed. 

Bucky closed the door and stood there awkwardly, not quite knowing what he should do or say. You smiled and waved him over. He cautiously came over and stood in front of you.

"I got something for you at the store today, Bucky!" You sounded excited. 

He wondered if he should be excited too. What did 'excited' feel like, again?

You pulled the item from behind your back and thrust it out in front of you. It was a small, dark brown stuffed bear with a red bow tied around its neck. He stared at it. It stared back with a slightly disgruntled look on its face like it had been woken up too early or something.

"It's for you." 

You beamed up at him and he felt his heart thump loudly.

He nodded and gently took it from your hands, his eyes never leaving the bear's face. He stroked its fur carefully with his right index finger. A tiny smile appeared on his face. There was something oddly comforting about the small stuffed animal.

Bucky looked down at you and whispered, "Thank you."

"You're very welcome, Bucky."

At that moment, Bucky heard whispering and shuffling outside his room. He looked at you with a metal finger pressed to his lips and quietly walked over to the door. You looked at him, confused. When he flung it open, Tony, Clint, and Thor all came crashing into the room and landed in a heap on the floor. You yelped in surprise at the sudden intrusion and they all scrambled to their feet and stammered out excuses before rushing off back down the hallway. 

Steve appeared in the doorway after they left, holding the plastic bag of things Bruce had bought, and just shook his head.

"Those guys..." He chuckled.

"Well, after all that excitement I think I'll head back to my room," you said, "I'm glad you like the bear, Bucky!" 

You grinned at him again and left.

 

\-----

 

Steve set the bag down on Bucky's dresser after you left and began pulling things out of it, inspecting each item. 

"Steve?"

He turned around to see Bucky sitting on the edge of his bed, staring at the small teddy bear he was holding in his hands. Even though he didn't really want to talk about it with Steve, Bucky felt like he had to do something about this before it was too late.

"What is it, Buck?"

"I think I'm sick."

"I know. That's why I got Bruce to get this stuff for you," Steve paused, "You really should see him. He'd be able to fix you up better than anything here, I'm sure." He gestured to the assortment of pill bottles and boxes that now lined the dresser.

"No doctors," Bucky said stubbornly.

Steve sighed, "Okay, okay."

He knew not to push the subject too much or Bucky would just shut down completely. He decided to change the subject a little.

"Why do you think you're sick? What are you feeling?"

Bucky hesitated.

"I feel hot sometimes and there's this pounding in my chest," he said, placing his hand over his heart, "It only seems to happen when (Y/n) is around or when someone else is talking to her or touching her. It gets so bad sometimes that it feels like I'm going to die. What's wrong with me, Steve?"

Steve stood blinking at his best friend for a few moments before he started laughing. Bucky stared at him in shock. How could he be laughing at a time like this? Didn't he know this was serious?

"Oh Buck," he said, when he had finally regained some composure, "Nothing's wrong with you. You're not sick at all."

Bucky just continued to stare, clearly confused.

Steve shook his head and said to himself, "How am I going to explain this?"


	4. Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that Bucky knows what's 'wrong' with him... What is he going to do about it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter... Brace yourselves for incoming fluff! xD

In the next few weeks, you trained hard and honed your pyrokinetic skills until even Fury was impressed. When he was satisfied, you were allowed to join the team on a few minor missions. You started to notice, though, that on these missions, Bucky began to be oddly protective of you. He was never more than a few yards away from you, if at all possible. 

At home, since your rooms were across the hall from each other, you saw Bucky more than most of the others and you became good friends. He began to open up a lot more with you. You often hung out with him whenever he wasn't busy and the two of you could spend hours talking. Well, you usually did most of the talking, but he wasn't as silent as he used to be, either. You just figured that since you had bought him that teddy bear, he was just becoming more comfortable around you. You were glad that he was starting to trust someone other than Steve.

You didn't mind all the extra attention from him, though. Over time, you had developed a crush on the former Winter Soldier. Bucky was someone that you could talk to naturally. You felt that you could be yourself around him and he didn't seem to care if you were awkward or if you talked too much.

Sometimes you wanted to reach out to him and tell him how you really felt, but you always backed out at the last second. You knew that likely nothing serious would come of your feelings for him. He never really showed much interest in you, beyond friendship. Even then, he felt a little distant at times, but you knew that he was recovering from the horrific events he went through while he was with HYDRA. It would take time for him to eventually come to terms with that and you didn't want to interfere with the progress he was making by pushing your feelings on him. The main thing was that he was becoming more and more comfortable both at the tower and in his own skin. That was good enough for you. For now, at least.

 

\-----

 

After Fury had finally allowed you to begin going on missions with the rest of the team, Tony began planning to throw one of his famous parties and had insisted that you be there. He told you some story about having the party to celebrate you joining the Avengers team, but you figured that it was just an excuse for him to show off. You were never a big fan of parties but since he invited you specially, it would be rude not to go. 

As soon as you got there, though, you wanted to leave. There were so many people you didn't know at the party and you felt extremely out of place. To be honest, you hated crowds. You didn't drink either because, of course, fire and alcohol didn't mix well. It was one of the downsides of having your power. You always ended up with an awful stomach ache if you drank any liquor so you avoided it as much as possible. You usually just ended up hiding in a corner of the room, out of the way of the groups of people and this time was no different.

You stood by a wall and drank your iced tea alone. From your place in the corner, you quietly observed everyone. Clint and Bruce were talking to Natasha who was helping out at the bar, Tony and Thor were being fawned over by a group of women, and Steve and Bucky were sitting at a table by themselves. You noticed that Bucky looked extremely uncomfortable while surrounded by so many people. His eyes flickered around like a trapped animal's, looking for an escape route. His gaze settled on you and he immediately seemed much calmer. You smiled.

Just as you were going to walk over to him, you felt someone drape their arm across your shoulders. You turned and saw Tony grinning down at you. He looked very, very drunk.

"Hey (y/n)," he said, slurring your name, "How're you liking the party? Pretty cool, huh?"

You could smell the alcohol on his breath. You figured that you should just play along and chat until you could find a way to wriggle out of his grip. It was just Tony, after all, right?

"Yeah, Tony, it's an awesome party."

"Aw, thanks!" he gushed, "Y'know, I like you a lot, (Y/n). You look so hot tonight."

You laughed nervously.

"Oh, really? I don't know about that. I'm pretty sure that's just the beer-goggles you're wearing, Tony."

"No, you really are gorgeous," he insisted, leaning towards you, "I could seriously just kiss you right here."

At that moment, you felt a cool, metal hand on your shoulder. You looked up and was met with the scowling face of Bucky. He glowered at Tony and his face was so stormy that for a second, you wondered if the Winter Soldier had decided to make an unexpected appearance. The gentle touch of his hand on your shoulder told a different story, however, and you instantly knew that he was still in control. He was simply coming to your rescue like he usually did when you were on a mission together. Steve appeared behind Tony and whisked him away safely before Bucky could deck the inebriated billionaire in the face.

You turned to face Bucky and saw that the dangerous look on his face had slowly begun to fade. Eager to get out of the crowded room, you twined your fingers in his and gently pulled him to the stairwell that led to the roof. When you finally reached the roof, you pushed the door open and a blast of cool, night air hit you. You walked to the railing on the edge of the roof and leaned against it, breathing in deeply.

"Oh man, I seriously thought I was going to be mauled by Tony back there."

"I wouldn't let that happen."

You laughed.

"No, apparently not. From that look on your face, I thought you might actually kill him."

"I don't do that anymore," he said, seriously, "Not if I don't have to."

"I know, Buck. I was just kidding."

"Oh."

You both stood in silence for a few moments. It wasn't uncomfortable, but you tried to think of something to say, anyway.

"I'm glad to be out of that crowd, though," you said, finally, "I always feel like I'm going to burst into flames when there are so many people around. I mean, figuratively, of course."

Bucky chuckled. It was the first time you heard him make any kind of laughing sound and your heart suddenly began pounding in your chest. He turned to look at you and you were suddenly very aware of how handsome he was. He was dressed neater than normal, with dark jeans and a red plaid button-up shirt layered over a thin black t-shirt. Even though it was casual, it was a far cry from his normal attire of baggy sweatpants. His long, dark hair was even tied back into a little ponytail at the nape of his neck. Loose strands hung around his face, framing his cheekbones and square jawline.

Bucky cleared his throat and you realized that you had been staring at him for way too long. You awkwardly looked away as blood rushed to your face and crept up to the tips of your ears. He smiled.

"Tony was right, though. You really do look nice tonight, (y/n)."

That made you blush even harder. 

"Really?"

You looked down. Your outfit consisted of a Doctor Who t-shirt and your favourite jeans. This wasn't really anything special. Actually, it wasn't much different than what you normally wore. You had managed to put a bit of eyeliner and mascara on without completely poking your eyes out, but that was really the only major change. 

"You're beautiful," he said.

He wasn't used to saying things like that, but tonight he couldn't help himself. After seeing Tony with his hands all over you... The very thought made him sick. He wanted to be with you so badly; to belong to you. Even though it was still difficult for him to convey certain emotions, Bucky knew he had to at least try to show you how he felt.

You stared at him with wide eyes. Before you could say anything, you felt him brush some strands of hair away from you face. His hand felt warm and comforting in the cool night air and you leaned into his touch. You closed your eyes and felt your skin heating up where his palm rested against your cheek. 

You always told yourself that you wouldn't do anything about your crush on him unless he acted first but right now, he was so close to you. He was looking at you with those eyes and gently tucking your hair behind your ear. You felt his fingertips on your neck and his touch sent shivers down your spine. You couldn't take it any longer.

"Bucky," you blurted, "Can I kiss you?"

His eyes widened in surprise.

"You want to?"

You nodded. As he looked down at you, you could see that there was a hint of something in his intense eyes that you had never seen before. Something hungry. It scared and excited you all at once.

"Okay," he consented hesitantly, "But I'm probably not very--"

He was silenced as your lips settled on his. The kiss was gentle at first; light and airy, like the wings of a butterfly, but that didn't last long. It quickly turned fervent and desperate. Neither of you had a lot of practice with this sort of thing and it was a little clumsy, but that didn't seem to matter. You felt light-headed. You clung to him, anchoring your fingers in the fabric of his shirt. The night air was cool, but the more he kissed and nibbled and teased your lips, the more you felt like you could spontaneously combust at any second.

When you finally broke apart, your cheeks were flushed and your body was all but completely limp in his arms. He held you close to him. You wrapped your arms around his torso and rested your head on his chest as you tried to catch your breath. 

"Bucky," you whispered, "I love you."

He pulled away from you just enough to look down at your face. His eyes, usually alert and intense, were incredibly soft. A tender smile lit up his face.

"I love you too, (Y/n)," he said, "I've loved you since you first moved in here."

You looked up at him, surprised.

"Really? Why didn't you say something sooner?"

He pulled you into his chest once more, arms wrapped around you, keeping you warm and close. You could hear his heart pounding in his chest. It nearly matched the pounding in your own chest.

"You know what I've done in the past and who I used to be, right? I didn't think you would want me. I didn't want to scare you away. I'm... broken."

"Bucky, you idiot," you said gently, looking up at him with tears forming in your eyes, "You're not broken and I'm not afraid of you! I love you the way you are."

A few moments passed as he processed this information. You weren't going to leave him. You loved him. He leaned down to kiss you once more, smiling against your mouth. A couple of tears rolled down his cheeks and mixed with yours. His heart ached again but this time, he felt... happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh gosh, thank you so much for reading! <3  
> I hope you enjoyed it! :D

**Author's Note:**

> I hope everyone is having a lovely day!   
> And if not, read more Bucky stories... Everything will be okay! <3
> 
> As always, feedback is appreciated! :)


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